In the title complex, [Ni(C(15)H(11)ClN(2)O(3))(C(3)H(4)N(2))], the Ni(II) ion is coordinated by a phenolate O, hydrazine N and carbonyl O atom from the hydrazone ligand and by an N atom from the imidazole mol-ecule, forming a distorted square-planar geometry. Inter-molecular N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds link neighboring molecules into extended chains parallel to [100].